In the 1930s and ’40s, Bologna was the capital of finely crafted men’s shoes. Though few of the 1,850 workshops from that time remain, Peron & Peron continues to painstakingly craft handmade shoes to order. Here’s a look at the distinctive cordwainers and other authentic artisans in this distinctive northern Italian city.

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Some days, hunkering down with a good book is nothing short of blissful retreat. So when IT heard that just across the pond, wordsmiths like Yann Martel, Ilan Pappe, and Esther Freud recently emerged from their writer caves to rub shoulders with ordinary folks at the Edinburgh International Book Festival, we couldn’t help but get…

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